Arkansas 2025 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1049 Draft / Bill

Filed 11/21/2024

                    Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law. 
*LGL006* 	11/21/2024 10:09:35 AM LGL006 
State of Arkansas     1 
95th General Assembly A Bill     2 
Regular Session, 2025  	HOUSE BILL 1049 3 
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By: Representative Tosh 5 
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8 
AN ACT TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING CRIMINAL 9 
OFFENSES; TO CRIMINALIZE UNLAWFUL SQUATTING; AND FOR 10 
OTHER PURPOSES. 11 
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Subtitle 14 
TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING 15 
CRIMINAL OFFENSES; AND TO CRIMINALIZE 16 
UNLAWFUL SQUATTING. 17 
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19 
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 SECTION 1.  Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 39, Subchapter 2, is amended 21 
to add an additional section to read as follows: 22 
 5-39-215.  Unlawful squatting. 23 
 (a)  A person commits the offense of unlawful squatting if he or she:  24 
 (1)  Knowingly enters upon the premises of another person; 25 
 (2)  Knowingly resides on the premises of the other person under 26 
(a)(1) of this section for any period of time; 27 
 (3)  Knowingly acts without lawful authority under subdivisions 28 
(a)(1) and (2) of this section; and 29 
 (4)  Cannot produce at least one (1) of the following documents: 30 
 (A)  A deed or mortgage statement in his or her name; 31 
 (B)  A lease agreement that includes the name and signature 32 
of the other person or an authorized representative of the other person; or 33 
 (C)  A receipt or other reliable evidence of rent payment 34 
paid to the other person or an authorized representative of the other person 35 
dated within the last sixty (60) days. 36    	HB1049 
 
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 (b)  Unlawful squatting is a Class B misdemeanor. 1 
 (c)  A law enforcement agency shall not accept a report of unlawful 2 
squatting unless the report is by an owner of the premises or an authorized 3 
representative of the owner. 4 
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